Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas (b. February 18, 1941, Ponchatoula, Louisiana) is a Grammy Award winning soul and rhythm and blues singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans."

Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial success; still, she has a large cult following among soul aficionados. In 2007, she won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain, her first Grammy in an acclaimed career spanning over 45 years.

History

Born Irma Lee, as a teen she sang with a Baptist church choir, auditioning for Specialty Records as a 13-year old. By the age of 19 she had been married twice and had four children. Keeping her second ex-husband's surname, she worked as a waitress in New Orleans, occasionally singing with bandleader Tommy Ridgley, who helped her land a record deal with the local Ron label. Her first single, "(You Can Have My Husband but) Don't Mess with My Man," was released in spring 1960, and reached number 22 on the Billboard R&B chart.

She then began recording on the Minit label, working with songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint on songs including “It’s Raining” and “Ruler of my Heart”, which was later reinterpreted by Otis Redding as "Pain In My Heart". Imperial Records acquired Minit in 1963, and a string of successful releases followed. These included "I Wish Someone Would Care” (her biggest national hit), its B-side " Break-a-Way” (later covered by Tracey Ullman among others), "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is”, and "Time Is on My Side" (a song previously recorded by Kai Winding, and later by the Rolling Stones).

Although her first four Imperial singles all charted on Billboard's pop chart, later releases were less successful, and, unlike her contemporaries Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick she never managed to cross over into mainstream commercial success. She recorded for Chess Records in 1967/68 with some success, the Otis Redding song "Good To Me" reaching the R&B chart. She then relocated to California, releasing records on various small labels, before returning to Louisiana, and in the early 1980s opened her own club, the Lion's Den.

After several years’ break from recording, she was signed by Rounder Records, and in 1991 earned her first-ever Grammy nomination for Live! Simply the Best, recorded in San Francisco. She subsequently released a number of traditional gospel albums, together with more secular recordings. The album Sing It! was nominated for a Grammy in 1999.

Thomas is still active as a performer, appearing annually at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. She reigned as Queen of the Krewe du Vieux for the 1998 New Orleans Mardi Gras season. She often headlined at her own club, which is now out of business due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Thomas relocated to Gonzales, Louisiana, 60 miles (97 km) from New Orleans, after Hurrican Katrina, but, according to her web site, she is now back in her home in New Orleans.

In April 2007, Irma Thomas was honored for her contributions to Louisiana music with induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

In August 2009, a compilation album with three new songs titled The Soul Queen of New Orleans: 50th Anniversary Celebration was released from Rounder Records to commemorate Thomas' 50th year as a recording artist.

Irma Thomas is the subject of the 2008 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival poster. She was chosen as the subject before the painting was chosen for the poster. Artist Douglas Bourgeois painted the singer in 2006. His art was chosen to reflect her art.

Noteworthy Songs

• "(You Can Have My Husband But) Don't Mess with My Man" (#22 R&B, 1960)
• "Cry On" (1961)
• "I Done Got Over It" (1962)
• "It's Raining" (1962)
• "Somebody Told You" b/w "Two Winters Long"(1962)
• "Ruler of My Heart" (1963)
• "Wish Someone Would Care" (#17 pop, 1964) b/w "Break-A-Way"
• "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" (#52 pop, 1964) b/w "Time Is on My Side"
• "Times Have Changed" (#98 pop, 1964)
• "He's My Guy" (#63 pop, 1964)
• "You Don't Miss a Good Thing" (#109 pop, 1965)
• "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry" (#130 pop, 1965)
• "Take a Look" (#118 pop, 1965)
• "It's a Man's-Woman's World" (#119 pop, 1966)
• "Good to Me" (#42 R&B, 1968)

Discography

• 1964 Wish Someone Would Care (Imperial)
• 1966 Take a Look (Imperial)
• 1973 In Between Tears (Fungus)
• 1976 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Island)
• 1978 Soul Queen of New Orleans (Maison De Soul)
• 1979 Safe with Me (RCS)
• 1981 In Between Tears (reissue) (Charly) Fungus
• 1981 Hip Shakin' Mama (reissue of Island LP) (Charly) Island
• 1986 The New Rules (Rounder)
• 1988 The Way I Feel (Rounder)
• 1991 Live: Simply the Best (Rounder)
• 1992 True Believer (Rounder)
• 1993 Walk Around Heaven: New Orleans Gospel Soul (Rounder)
• 1997 The Story of My Life (Rounder)
• 1998 Sing It! (Rounder) with Marcia Ball & Tracy Nelson
• 2000 My Heart's in Memphis: The Songs Of Dan Penn (Rounder)
• 2006 After the Rain (Rounder)
• 2008 Simply Grand (Decca/Rounder)

Compilations

• 1980s Irma Thomas Sings (Bandy) Bandy/Minit
• 1986 Break-A-Way: The Best of Irma Thomas (Legendary Masters Series) (EMI-USA)
• 1983 Time Is on My Side (Kent) Minit/Imperial
• 1984 Down at Muscle Shoals (Chess/P-Vine) Chess
• 1987 Breakaway (Stateside) Minit/Imperial
• 1987 Breakaway (abridged version of Stateside LP) (EMI-USA) Minit/Imperial
• 1990 Something Good: The Muscle Shoals Sessions (MCA-Chess) Chess
• 1991 Safe with Me/Irma Thomas Live (Paula)
• 1992 Time Is on My Side: The Best Of Irma Thomas Volume 1 (EMI-USA) Minit/Imperial
• 1996 Ruler of Hearts (Charly) Minit/Bandy/Island
• 1996 Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection (Razor & Tie) Imperial/Minit
• 1996 Time Is on My Side (expanded CD reissue of 1983 LP) (Kent) Minit/Imperial
• 2001 If You Want It, Come and Get It (Rounder) Rounder
• 2005 Straight from the Soul (Stateside) Imperial/Minit
• 2006 A Woman's Viewpoint (Ace) Fungus/Canyon/RCS, etc.
• 2006 Wish Someone Would Care/Take A Look (Collectables) Imperial
• 2009 The Soul Queen of New Orleans: 50th Anniversary Celebration (Rounder) Rounder

Guest appearances

• 1993 B. B. King, Blues Summit (MCA) Duet on "We're Gonna Make It"
• 2005 Various Artists/I Believe To My Soul (Rhino)
• 2005 Various Artists/Our New Orleans (Elektra/Nonesuch)
• 2006 The New Orleans Social Club/Sing Me Back Home (Burgundy)

Filmography

• 2006 New Orleans Music in Exile

External links

• Official website
• Bio from Allmusic.com
• Fan page, includes extensive bio and discography
• Interview with Irma Thomas by John Sinclair
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Bio from the Oregonian
• NPR:A visit with the Soul Queen of New Orleans
• An interview with Irma Thomas at Soul Express